Care for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Community

Information for healthcare and social service providers about providing support and care for DACA population.

In the midst of the harsh political climate EthnoMed is reminded we are part of a larger educational and health system that supports and cares for all people. Our Harborview Medical Center mission statement includes priority care to persons who are non-English speaking poor, persons who are uninsured or underinsured, and many other vulnerable populations. The words of the University of Washington President Ana Mari Cauce provide us with a reminder that the work is important and a call to action:

"...Ending DACA diminishes us all. It breaks the promise our country made to these students when we urged them to enroll in the program, to be proud and unafraid. We join with leaders in higher education, industry, government, religious institutions and humanitarian agencies across the nation in calling for congressional action to restore the program quickly.

Discontinuing the program doesn’t just threaten the security and futures of Dreamers. It also threatens to erode our nation as a democracy that has embraced the diverse talents and contributions of generations of immigrants, including our country’s founders." Read the entire letter

Northwest Immigrant Rights Project (NWIRP):

NWIRP has compiled a list of important resources in light of the President’s September 5, 2017 announcement that the DACA program is being terminated.

Update February 14, 2018: USCIS is currently accepting DACA renewal applications, as well as applications from DACA eligible community members whose DACA status has expired. NWIRP and partners at Perkins Coie will be holding free DACA renewal clinics in Seattle, Wenatchee and Granger offices. Visit NWIRPfor information about the DACA renewal legal clinics, links to materials from the City of Seattle translated for communities, and resources from other organizations touching on issues of education, financial aid, mental health, employment and workplace rights:

Making a Case for Sanctuary HospitalsSaadi A, Ahmed S, Katz MH. Making a Case for Sanctuary Hospitals. JAMA. Published online October 16, 2017. doi:10.1001/jama.2017.15714Advocates that health care professionals support and advocate for health care facilities to be sanctuary places that protect the undocumented and vulnerable.